Help

No account yet?
Registering is free, easy, and private.
Discuss in the forum, contribute to the Encyclopedia, build your own MyAnime lists, and more.

Review

by Casey Brienza, Dec 23rd 2008

Jyu-Oh-Sei

DVD - The Complete Series Box Set

Synopsis:

Humanity has taken to space and settled the Balkan star system, approximately 150 light years away from Earth. Twin brothers Thor and Rai were born and raised on the space colony Juno and live a privileged life as the children of Prime Minster Odin's right hand man. But then one day their parents are mysteriously murdered, and the two boys find themselves left to fend for themselves on Chimaera, a savage planet not on any map where criminals are left to live or die…or be killed by the monstrous plant life. Four warring groups divided by the color of their skin called “Rings” compete to see their leader, known as the “Top,” become the Beast King, the ruler of all Chimaera and the only person authorized to leave the planet.

Review:

Synopsis:

Humanity has taken to space and settled the Balkan star system, approximately 150 light years away from Earth. Twin brothers Thor and Rai were born and raised on the space colony Juno and live a privileged life as the children of Prime Minster Odin's right hand man. But then one day their parents are mysteriously murdered, and the two boys find themselves left to fend for themselves on Chimaera, a savage planet not on any map where criminals are left to live or die…or be killed by the monstrous plant life. Four warring groups divided by the color of their skin called “Rings” compete to see their leader, known as the “Top,” become the Beast King, the ruler of all Chimaera and the only person authorized to leave the planet.

Review:

The Jyu-Oh-Sei (a.k.a. “Planet of the Beast King”) animated television series is based upon a shoujo manga by Natsumi Itsuki (Oz, Yakumo Tatsu) of the same name. Itsuki, in the tradition of such famed women writers as Ursula K. Le Guin (Tales of Earthsea) in the West and Moto Hagio (They Were 11!) in the East, writes in a distinctive genre known as either “feminist-” or “social-science fiction.” How is this genre distinguished? Easy. In contrast to so-called “hard science fiction,” it is a bit short on the scientific accuracy but compensates by being long on the novel societal arrangements, which may or may not strike audiences as particularly believable.

And needless to say, these two characteristics sum up Jyu-Oh-Sei to a tee. The hard science, such as it is, of this science fiction series strains believability, particularly the genetic engineering. The plant life on Chimaera, likewise, strikes this reviewer as a bit too conveniently Miyazaki-like in its participation in the final denouement (or, to be even more unflattering, appallingly like Origin ~Spirits of the Past~). Some of the social science raises eyebrows sky high as well. For some reason, a shortage of women on a planet of violent criminals does not strike one as an environment in which women will be socially elevated and treated with utmost respect. It seems more wishful thinking on Itsuki's part than well-thought out world-building. On the other hand, the division of the four “Rings” according to skin color represents waaaaay more multiracial inclusion than the bulk of Japanese pop culture…even if the Blanc Ring (a.k.a. white folks) are the closest to Chimaera's local villains and the Night Ring (a.k.a. black folks) appear only as convenient cannon fodder. But let's face it; given the low intellectual standard set by most anime these days, this one is pretty darn impressive.

Nevertheless, Jyu-Oh-Sei proves to be a pleasant series that, unlike some science fiction that will not be named, does not require too much brain power to follow. And at only eleven episodes total, it boasts a tight enough narrative arc to keep even the most easily-distracted mind from wandering too far astray. The plot can be roughly divided into a three-act structure: The first part shows Thor and Rai as children. Rai gets killed off quickly, leaving Thor to swear revenge against Prime Minister Odin and exceed everybody's extremely low expectations by doing a bunch of impossible things and, ultimately, emerging victorious against the Ochre Ring's Top. This makes Thor the Ochre Ring's top, and along with wannabe wife and Second (in command) Tiz and the mysterious hunk known only by his title, Third, the action then skips several years ahead to a time when Thor is making life on Chimaera better for his people. Until they are threatened by the Blanc Ring, that is, and Thor is eventually forced into battle with the Blanc Ring's Top. (Thor ain't bloodthirsty; they fight over a woman who is not Tiz.) Needless to say, Thor again emerges victorious and becomes the Beast King in spite of himself. In the third and final act, Thor and his entourage head into outer space—and learn some ugly truths about the real deal behind everything that's gone on thus far.

This is an attractive-looking anime, with decent animation and soundtrack quality for a television series. Neither the Japanese nor the English dubs are especially noteworthy, but they too are solid all around. Music—including the forgettable opening and ending vocal themes—is pretty classic-sounding but otherwise unremarkable. Visual highlights include the lush world of Chimaera and the exceedingly handsome character designs. Of course, since it was based on a shoujo manga, the male characters are all gorgeous bishounen, but the creators are gracious to their crossover male audience as well with several female characters—especially Tiz—sporting cup sizes that could only happen naturally on some other planet. Character personalities are a mixed bag; those nostalgic for Hokuto of CLAMP's Tokyo Babylon will love Tiz, but Karim, the gal all the guys seems to want to “make babies” with is a doormat. Yaoi fans will adore Third, and his final moments with Thor are sure to live on in fanfiction history.

The two disc box set from FUNimation features the usual underwhelming selection of bonuses: Staff commentary, original commercials, and textless opening and ending songs. None of these are going to come even close to making or breaking a sale, but some of the double-sided jacket art should have bishounen aficionados drooling puddles deep enough to drown in. Suffice it to say that if you are on the market for a double dose of eye candy dressed up in a reasonably smart, interesting package, you have come to exactly the right place.

Grade:

Production Info:

Overall (dub) : A-

Overall (sub) : A-

Story : A-

Animation : B+

Art : A

Music : B

+ A double dose of eye candy in a reasonably smart, interesting package that doesn't take too long to finish.− A quadruple dose of believability problems, too many cannon-fodder characters, and a lame, treehugger conclusion.

Hope counts down the best moments where Yoko Kanno brought her A-game to Cowboy Bebop. Plus: your poll results, and vote for your favorite Bebop episodes!― 3 2 1, Let's Jam! It's time for a Cowboy Bebop themed episode of The Set List. This week, I've ranked my Top 10 Musical Moments from the legendary jazz-and-blues inspired anime, and you can check them out in the video below! (Please note that we...

PONYCAN USA launched a few months back with two shows: Denki-Gai and Yuki Yuna is a Hero. Executive Director Kazuyoshi Fukuba answers a few questions about what to expect, and what's up with those prices.― PONYCAN USA is the newly-minted US distribution arm of Pony Canyon, which has been in the Japanese media business since 1966. PONYCAN USA follows the example set by Aniplex of America, in that th...

Shinichiro Watanabe's zany sci-fi showcase for his artist pals winds up on bluray today, loaded with special features in a limited edition with a hefty price tag. Mike Toole investigates.― Space Dandy is a series full of magic-- a magic that first reveals itself late in episode 1, during a sequence in which the show's titular hero and his new pal, Meow, are forced to run away from a pack of jumbo-si...

Find out if you won!― Thank you (again) for entering our contest (again). Winners: Patrick Nakasone, Honolulu, Hi Hiddi Jordan, Bailey, Mi Saul Diaz, Arleta, Ca Watch for our next give-away coming SOON! In the meantime, head over to SpaceDandy.com to find out more about FUNimation's awesome Space Dandy sets.

This little-seen family adventure about a group of tanuki living in Kyoto has careful writing and beautiful scenery; Nick Creamer thinks it might just be a modern classic.― In the guidebook accompanying Eccentric Family, series composer Shotaro Suga speaks frankly of the difficulty of condensing an entire book into an anime, and the question of where to even begin telling the story. “There are just ...

Every good fantasy series has a few incredible elf ladies on display. Today, Lynzee decides to finally share the elf.― The term "bombshell" was coined, very appropriately, during World War II to refer to the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, and other sex symbols of the era. There aren't any elves in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but there are plenty of wild, voluptuous fantasy women wielding swor...

Deadman Wonderland is a dark, unsettling look into a private prison abusing the system for the whims of the Warden and a few governmental higher ups.― Ever since 1864, a “wonderland” has been a world where the rules of logic do not apply, a carnival that can be by turns fun and frightening. Deadman Wonderland has been playing with that definition since its first volume, and now in its seventh we beg...